What is gerrymandering in US elections? What you should know in 500 words | News about the 2024 US election

EXPLAINER

Gerrymandering, the partisan redistricting of electoral districts, is as old as the USA and yet a controversial part of elections there.

They call it election manipulation, power grabs and just plain underhanded.

But it’s legal and both Republicans and Democrats do it.

Gerrymandering, the process of redistributing electoral districts in favor of political parties, is almost as old as the United States and yet remains an integral part of the modern political process.

This could affect the outcome of crucial races for the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures in this year’s general election.

How does gerrymandering work?

Generally, states update their electoral districts once a decade to reflect population changes.

This is where gerrymandering creeps into the process. Political parties are trying to redraw electoral maps to give their side the most seats in state legislatures and Congress.

District boundaries are manipulated to bring together or divide like-minded voters, either strengthening or weakening their voting rights.

The result is often distorted districts with convoluted boundaries drawn to include some voters and exclude others.

Essentially, gerrymandering allows politicians to choose their voters, rather than the other way around.

The word was invented in 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry redrew the state Senate electoral map in favor of his party.

The result was an oddly shaped area that looked like a salamander.

It inspired cartoonist Elkanah Tisdale to draw a mythical creature for the Boston Gazette and call it “Gerry-Mander.” The name stuck.

Faking complacent politicians?

Gerrymandering is controversial – and not just because it represents blatant voter wooing. Critics say it could weaken the voting rights of racial minorities and undermine democracy.

A 2023 study by Harvard University researchers found that gerrymandering often creates “safe” seats for politicians, meaning their races are less competitive. In turn, these politicians are less responsive to the needs of their voters, which in turn makes them less courageous to vote.

At least eight states clearly oppose partisan redistricting in their constitutions. Others use independent commissions to make the changes. But in most countries there is a lack of protective measures.

Nationwide efforts in the last Congress also failed to ban partisan gerrymandering.

In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was up to state courts to hear ballot disputes.

So now it’s a federal battle over the role of partisan politics in electoral districts – with some recent rulings potentially impacting the outcome of the 2024 election.

In South Carolina, for example, a new voting map transformed a swing district into a safer Republican district, sparking outrage among voting rights advocates.

In Louisiana and Alabama, however, redrawn maps could mean Democrats gain at least one more House seat in each state.

And in North Carolina, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of a parliamentary congressional map that would potentially give Republicans three more House seats.

Each of these races is significant: Control of the U.S. House of Representatives will be decided by district-level votes, with the fate of the national legislature hanging in the balance.